


I have crossed the horizon to find you.

by Homicidal



Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Angst, Death, Disney, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Love, Maui & Moana Waialiki Friendship, Maui and Moana Romance, Multi, Other, Romance, i am trash, pls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-11 14:40:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11150514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Homicidal/pseuds/Homicidal
Summary: 3 years -- It has been 3 years since Maui and Moana's exploration across the sea to restore the Heart of Te Fiti. Happiness had spread across the islands... all until one day when boats filled with intruders glided across the sea to seek land. And as soon as they had landed on the beautiful islands... somehow, it was automatically theirs? The Hawaiian people were more than welcome to them, offering them fruits, shelter... love. It seemed that they did not know of what had happened to the other cultured people these men had ran into either, because blindly-- they were held captive. Enslaved on their own land, whipped, beaten... why did the pale faces do this?Moana was destined to find out why they were doing this, and of course Maui was tagging along. Together they would find out not only why these people were so evil... but why some were dying brutally as well. Yes, Pale faces were found torn apart, ripped open... and it wasn't JUST on Montonui.





	1. The beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Translations;  
> Moeʻuhane hemolele - Sweet Dreams  
> Aloha pō - Goodnight  
> _____________________________________________

It was nightfall. The crashing of the waves was gentle and the breeze flowed smoothly... another night with joyful singing and living fires. There were children dancing and giggling, elders having deep & intellectual conversations. And there was Moana, dancing with the flames of the fire with a circle of children gathered around her. Her hips swayed sweetly while the gestures of her hands matched with the story her mouth told. Her and Maui's story. Maui was sitting there too, two children rested upon each of his knees while everyone gaped at her. oo's and aa's escaped the children's mouths quietly, of course, Maui stepped in a few times to give a more dramatic response; it made Moana snicker. 

"And that was when the Ocean separated into two, leaving a trail of sand and rock for Te Fiti and I to walk across. It may have looked like a sacrifice of some sort like I was risking my life!" She explained. "But she came to me. Gentle, kind... with open ears. The heart was restored and the islands were saved! Thanks to Maui, shapeshifter, Demi-god of the wind and sea--" Maui interrupted. "Hero to all." he mentioned smugly, grinning as he raised an eyebrow and looked to Moana. She rolled her eyes but couldn't help to let her lips curl into a sweet smile. The kids cheered and clapped their small hands, three even dared to jump on Moana and caused her to tumble back onto the sand. Her giggles and laughs mixed with theirs, grunting and hissing quietly when they would pull on a portion of her hair or accidentally scratch her skin. 

"Alright kiddos, up, up, up!" Maui hummed quickly, picking them up or watching them scurry to their parents with bright smiles on their faces. once they were all gone, he turned to Moana who was still on the sand -- lifting her from up by picking her up under her arms. Easily, she stood to her feet and thanked him quietly.  
"Y'know, you don't give yourself enough credit... chief," Maui said with a smirk, balling his hands into fists and resting them on his hips, quirking an eyebrow her direction. Moana crossed her arms over her chest, watching the demi-god with slight confusion distorting her eyebrows. 

"What do you mean?" Moana asked gently, turning her body to face the ocean. Maui chuckled and shook his head, turning his own massive form to watch the water.  
"You saved these people more than I did, Kid. Yet you seem to be giving me the credit..?'' He explained though the ending of his sentence made it sound more like a question rather than a statement. She didn't answer him right away. Her eyes closed as her nostrils took in the deep scent of the Ocean's saltiness and freshness, she didn't answer until opening her eyes.  
"Because you deserve the credit, Maui." She told him simply.  
"And you don't?" He asked a slight frown tugged at his lips. "I think, PERSONALLY, that a mortal who risked her life to save not only her village-- but the world, deserves a lot more credit than an immortal demi-god with powers. Just Sayin'..." He cooed at his ending. Moana smirked, glancing up at him. He was a lot more... giving, then when she had first met him. After all, he did attempt to leave her stranded on an island while taking her canoe.  
"Thanks, Maui." She said quietly. He smiled back in response. 

Then there was a scream. 

And another. 

Eventually, it sounded like the whole village was in terror... what had happened?! The pair both turned their heads in sync worry and distraught written over their features before they ran. They ran towards the center where everyone had been partying and feasting... having a swell time. Then someone stopped them... a strong force. Tui. Moana's Father. Her face scrunched as she watched his face fill with fear yet determination. "Moana, Maui. You guys must go!" He demanded, pushing them back toward the water. Moana scoffed and tried to push back against him but it was no use. "Dad? What?! Why? What's wrong? " She blurted with questions, feeling him give them one more good shove and they were on the beach's shore again... not the soiled land. 

"People have invaded... they're taking families Moana. Forcing the into cages...." He explained, nodding towards the canoe as a sign for them to get on. "They have claimed Montonui as theirs, little one. I--" He was cut off by an extremely upset and determined voice that belonged to his daughter.  
"No! I won't leave you here with them! Who knows what they will do! I can't--" She was cut off with an embrace, her Father had wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her nappy head.  
"you must go." He demanded, murmuring into her hair. "Go to another Island, seek help..." He pulled her back to look at her face. "Try to figure out what has happened, Chief." He finished with a sad smile, glancing over to Maui who had to look dumbfounded. He completely understood what was happening, but why now? Out of nowhere? Interrupting their peace! their happiness...

"Sir, I can help fight them off..." Maui trailed off but Tui shook his head.  
"A war is not what we need, Demi-god. We need help, an agreement... We need the answers we cannot find on this Island." He explained handing Moana her oar that was carved with Maui's signature. She smiled sadly, tears threatened the waterline of her eyes. But they were pushed onto the canoe. there was no time to prepare food, no time to gather fresh water. The situation was causing the atmosphere around them to move so quickly, none of them were even thinking about the small survival details that could cause just huge impacts among the two travelers. 

"This is my way of protecting you, and I will do everything in my power to protect the village, My flower," Tui told his daughter warmly, hearing shouts of men behind him. Anxiously, he pushed the canoe into the sea and watched as his daughter slowly drifted away.  
"I'll get you your answers, Father," Moana told him, her voice seeming to break in the middle of her words. He smiled.  
"I know." He nodded and with that, he gave Maui the cue to pull the sail. So the professional wave-finder did. And away they went, Moana's ebony hair flowing behind her while her brown irises stuck to her father's figure, while his did her. 

the pale men came out with lanterns of fire, yelling and pointing at the man who had taught her almost everything she knew. Moana's eyes widened with fear, her heart sank into her chest. Tui's body was tackled to the ground, his arms pulled back into shackles while his face buried into the sand beneath him. Her head shook, arms shaking with anxiety running through her veins and fear coursing her soul! "No..." She murmured swallowing thickly. "Dad!" She yelled and dived into the ice cold ocean before Maui could protest... before he could actually process what she was thinking of doing. He and The Ocean had the same idea, and as before when Maui would toss her into the water... The Ocean brought her right back to the fast-sailing canoe. 

Moana went to dive again, but this time Maui caught her from the back. His arms wrapped around her waist and easily pulled her fighting body back. "Maui no! Let me go!" She hissed. He shook his head and sat down, pulling the small body down with him. Weakly, Moana pushed against his large arms or reached towards the land that was too far for her to swim to. 

"It doesn't suit you..." He answered her with a low-spirited tone, pulling her in for a hug. His hook rested by his side, along with the old, worn oar that she kept all this time. He needed to block her away from the scene behind them. Almost immediately, he felt the woman hug him back and... sob into his chest? That wasn't like Moana. Over the last few years, he had known her... She never cried. Not in front of anybody, anyway. His broad chin rested upon her head, his gaze replacing hers. Now he was watching as he couldn't do anything, and prevented her from watching any longer. 

They were far enough to see now that the intruders had arrived on a rather large ship... Maui never saw anything like it. It was even larger than the kakamora's ship. Not necessarily a pirate ship but it was large enough for cargo. For many arrivers. If the two had seen them, immediately they would have been disgusted just at the looks. Pale faces, dark bags hanging beneath their eyes, hairs different shades from black to blonde! Some teeth rotted... an easy sign of poor hygiene! These men were unhealthy yet greedy, and everything they saw & wanted; they automatically claimed as theirs. 

After Moana was able to calm down a bit, she wiped her face of any tears before allowing Maui to look at her features. She thought she looked fine, but it was obvious that the girl had been crying. Even if it weren't for the after effects of crying -- a reddened face and irritated eyes -- the sounds of her sobs and sniffles blew her cover anyway. He didn't mention it... Maui did what he was best at and went with the _flow_. She gave his arm a squeeze and then stood to her feet, holding onto the center pole of their canoe and watched the ocean ahead. She began to steer, it was a way for her to cope with what had abruptly **just** happened. Moana prayed to the gods to keep her family safe, her village.  
"He said an Island.... but what Island?" She questioned out of nowhere, sighing. Her forehead rested against the wooden pole she had gripped onto, gently hitting her head against its surface. It made no sense! Her Father wanted her to leave for her own protection... she understood that -- but why didn't he specify on which Island? There were many! 

"He meant **any** Island, Moana." Maui explained softly, his own gaze watching the water as its waves gently crashed... as if The Ocean knew not to give them a hard time in this moment. He smiled gently, his dimples gently punctured his sunkissed skin while he let a hand flow in the salt water. As his own kind of thank you. "Any place with civilization..." Maui added on, looking over at her briefly. She stared at her bare feet, the feeling of her heart deepened even further into her chest while her heart rate sped up as well. her expressions showed self-loathing... Maui knew exactly why, but he also knew that she shouldn't be loathing and negative at all. After all... She was Moana. And again, she wasn't giving herself enough credit.

"Pfft.." Maui scoffed, grabbing Moana's attention. She looked over her shoulder and quirked an eyebrow at him, her full lips pursed. What was he going on about now? "What're you worried about? We fought a lava monster! We were attacked by little, outraged coconuts! You restored the Heart of Te Fiti and saved the world.." He trailed off, watched her with a grin plastering his mouth before smacking his chest. "Besides, You have the **AWESOME** Demi-god by your side." He said with a chuckle, flexing his muscular arms. Mini-Maui copied him too, positioning his arms in a pointed- spartan pose. They were able to crack a small laugh out of the young woman, Moana turned her body to face him... and their tattoo friend. Her brown eyes lingered on his chest for a moment, taking in the tattoos and their story; her eyes fell on the tattoo of herself. Mini-Moana. A snicker purred from her throat and then her eyes returned to his face with a sigh.

"I guess you're right.." She said.  
"Of course I am," Maui replied, smiling smugly.  
She rolled her eyes, continuing to smile gently. That was all he wanted, for her to smile. If the large man was honest with himself, it pained him to see her upset. It wasn't like her, she was meant to be happy and joyful... even if she was irritating and temperamental sometimes. Thinking about it turned his smug look into a gentle, forgiving one. He walked over and without another word he snatched the oar from her grasp. She scoffed, opening her mouth to say something but was quickly shushed by pressing his index finger against her mouth momentarily. 

"I'm steering." he told her bluntly, sitting down at the back of the boat and slipping the oar into the familiar water once more. Moana scoffed and walked over to him, sitting down in front of him with her arms crossed.  
"Why?"  
"Because I said so." He said. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms again.  
"Whatever," She groaned. "just don't fall asleep." She told him. A teasing smile curled her lips as she watched him, receiving the same look in return.  
"Oh, I'll try all-mighty-great-one." Maui said, Moana looked away at his mockery. 

Her eyes focused among the stars, reading different constellations. She remembered where Maui's Hook rested in the sky, but ever since he got it back ... the stars faded from the pattern. It saddened her a bit, it was a beautiful sight to gaze at. The hook had become her favorite, when it exsisted. Maybe because The Hook's meaning is the abundance to the ocean.. or simply because it was symbolism to her best friend. The man who had saved her more than a few times, had a couple of arguments with and shared laughs... who knew a demi-god and human being could be such good friends. It scared her. Why? Because he could easily leave. He has duties to take care of and one day he could just disappear and never return. Chills ran up her spine and goosebumps rose to the surface of her tan skin just by thinking about the scenario. Moana wanted to prepare herself for the worse she supposed. 

The wood held Moana's body as she laid down, forcing her thoughts to move another route. One arm was positioned as a pillow for her head while the other broke into the ocean's surface. Her hand swayed in the liquid, giving it her own attention & affection -- like it were a dearly loved pet. The Ocean was her friend, that much was very obvious.. it could be so stubborn sometimes. Maybe it really couldn't help with everything, but Moana wished it could. Or at least it would attempt! She growled at the thoughts flooding her head, retreating her hand from the water and tucking it in towards her body.  
"Why didn't you stop them from sailing?" She asked. Her face broke away from its short peacfulness and changed into aggravation, nose wrinkling itself up and lips pulling themselves into a straight, thin line. If she were a cat her ears would have been laying down flat on her head and her tail would be swaying slolwy side to side. 

The young woman couldn't help but feel weak! There was nothing she could have physically done to prevent these men from coming, or at least prevent them from hurting any of her people! Maui could though.... He could shapeshift or simply use his overpowering strengths to take them down one by one. All she had was a damn oar. She stared at her hands, the features across her face softened -- grimacing at herself before her fists balled fightly. This was not the Chief way! She should have stayed back, She should have sacrificed herself of some sort so those... monsters would leave her people be! Harmony and Peace was all that was wanted, why was that so hard? Not even the Gods would give her a sign as to **why**.  
"This would be so much easier if I was immortal." She hissed, teeth tightly clenching together. The words made Maui snap out of his focus on the steering, staring at her. His jaw had fell ajar, revealing that fitting toothgap of his while his large let go of the secured oar and rested his weight upon it. 

"Don't say that." He said, no smile to be seen or laugh to be heard. It was absurd for her to be saying such hookidook! He demanded her not to, expecting her to listen.... though he also suspected her not to. Why would she? Moana never did anyway, not until after a little argument anyway! Lazily, her body flopped over to rest on her back rather than her side and she glanced over at him. Unamused, nearly lifeless... careless even.  
"Why not?" She asked dumbfoundly.  
"Because you don't need to be immortal to do anything!" Maui nearly barked, his jaw ticking with anticipation and aggravation.  
"Maui, you can stop lying, okay? I can't do **ANYTHING!** " She snapped back at him, her eyes fell back to the sky above her and an exhausted huff fell from her mouth. Her head shook slightly, swallowing a thick lump that rose in the back of her throat. "It'd be easier, okay? We wouldn't have had to run, I could have fought with you!"  
"You could have fought with me as you are now! It's just a matter of life and death Moana, and there is more to immortality than that." He said lowly.  
"If I was immortal, no one would have to worry about me dying." Moana sighed, closing her eyes. She couldn't bare to look at him, or the sky, or anything... she was stuck. Stuck on this boat with him, with her thoughts and weakness. 

The only response Maui could give her in return was a groan. She didn't understand the responsibilities that came with being immortal, and he didn't expect her to but... she acted like it was easy. Living forever, being unable to die. There was more to it, more to think about! But he refused to discuss it with her -- hoping that she just said it out of wit and being emotional. She would forget about it, right? This wasn't to be complained about again! He most certainly hoped not, anyway. Sure, being immortal was great... but there were the flaws. Only those who **were** immortal would understand. 

"Let's get some shut-eye, kid." He finally spoke up after a few long moments. Moana sighed but nodded considerably, turning to her side.  
"Aloha pō..." She said quietly.  
"Moeʻuhane hemolele, Mo."


	2. What is that..?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter may have some detailed, gory scenes.

It hadn't felt like more than a second when Moana fell asleep, being emotional took a lot of energy.. perhaps that was why she avoided the emotional route. But it also hadn't felt like more than a second that she had been sleeping, she was exhausted. Her body begged for mercy and wanted to fall back into its slumber -- she wasn't able to find sleep again. However, Moana chose to stay in her sleeping position with her eyes remaining shut. 

Maui, on the other hand, had been wave-finding throughout the night, he didn't need sleep. Of course, there were the additional amount of times where he had been in battle and needed the rest.. but this wasn't the case. The starry night atmosphere of last night was perfect for thoughts to consume his mind, so that was what he was doing mentally. Thinking. Different plans, different phrases... there were so many ways to go about things!  
Moana's words had haunted the conceited demi-god believe it or not, _Immortality_. The insides of him twisted and teeth gritted together every time he thought about it, She was so naive! Sure, he couldn't die and he possessed a magical fish hook that was quite handy but there were the flaws! Everything had flaws, whether they were beautiful or ugly... Immortality tended to have ugly flaws Like d-- Huh? His eyes glanced over to the girl's form.. he knew she was awake. 

The trickster within him sparked in his eyes while he watched her momentarily, the corner of his mouth curled up into a lopsided grin. Maui didn't have to move from the spot he was sitting in, simply he used the oar to make contact with her. With a light push, there was enough strength to cause the 'sleeping' body to roll into the sea. Splashing and gasps were heard not long after, then Maui's laughter echoed along the Ocean's surface and salty air.  
"Maui!" Her voice cracked, wheezing while her arms pulled her back onto the canoe where Maui had stayed put, amused by what he had done. He watched her body scramble onto their floater, a giant grin now took over his full mouth. 

"You okay? You look a little... sea-sick." He said. His face puffed up while holding in a load of laughter toward his terribly made joke and the flesh started to turn scarlet. But he couldn't be bothered to hold it in any longer and let out his breathtaking laugh, holding the center of his stomach until he doubled over onto the canoe's platform. He held his fist up to his chest, attempting to give his tattoo a fist bump but instead... Mini-Maui rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "What? It was funny! You suck at taking jokes." Maui cackled, shaking his head despite his skin's ignorance. 

She rested her weight down on her knees, her hands taking a grasp of her thick locks of hair and rung them out of any water. Purposely, she shook her head like a soaked puppy, making sure to get water on him for what he had done. "Ack!" You heard Maui complain, the corner of Moana's mouth lifted in a devilish manner and she used her hands to slide the hair out of her face. Still, at least he wasn't soaking wet from being shoved into the ocean.

"Can you throw me a banana, kid?" He asked. She peeked over her shoulder, deciding whether or not she should actually follow through with the gesture. Her mind was telling her to say no but the thought of a banana made her stomach plea otherwise. _'A banana sounds really good right now..' She thought._ Letting out a huff, Moana scooted over to the hatch and opened it with ease. She was really looking forward to eating a banana of her own... and literally throwing one at Maui! When she went to grab the fruit.. there wasn't anything to grab? Her peaceful expression lasted for 2 seconds before it dulled, burying her head in the hatch to look closer. Okay, maybe she was being a _little_ over dramatic.  
"Are you serious?!" She yelled, her voice sounding hollow from the wooden walls swallowing her head. Maui snickered at her dramatics, resting an arm on his propped knee. His lips pursed, watching her lift her head out of the hole in the boat. All he could see was the backside of her, her long, frizzy hair draping down her back while her small arm reached into the pit again. 

"What? Only one banana left? Sorry curly, I called dibs first." He deadpanned. 

"Nope.." She said, turning around. His jaw went slack when he saw what she had in her hand. "No bananas, just **another chicken** to board on my boat." Moana sneered. "BOGAWK." the girl added, jerking her head forward as she did so with her eyes cross. Never had she forgotten about his insult toward her years ago, and finally, the time had come for her to get payback. There was Hei Hei in her hand, being held by the neck with his head fidgeting left to right, seeing that he had been dumb enough to climb into the canoe again for another dangerous mission. Maui's eyes lingered on the scrawny chicken, his lips pulled into a disappointed side-frown. More less because there were no bananas... and the fact this chicken hadn't gotten any smarter. His look narrowed at Moana slightly to her joke and felt his chest tingle from his tattoo's silent giggles. 

"Oh, now you laugh?" He growled, looking down at his body to make eye contact with the little man. Just as Moana was starting to get into a good mood, she knew she couldn't really leave Maui unanswered. The emptiness of the hatch made her head hurt, they were in the middle of nowhere with no food or water. For once, their minds had moved too fast for them to comprehend bringing anything!  
"There is nothing to eat, Maui.." She said. "No water, either! Nothing." 

The Demi-God's eyes nearly popped from his skull while scurrying to his flat feet. He almost tripped over the bird as he made his way over, and down he looked. An empty hole, an abyss. "We still have days of voyage ahead of us... how're we supposed to -- grnn!!" His voice struggled to release slow, calm and comprehensible words. He ranted on and on, throwing his hands up while the dark, long hair that belonged to him bounced and waved as crazy as he did. 

"Maui..."Moana stuttered resigned, Maui's voice rambled loudly over hers.  
"Maui...!" She attempted to gather his attention again, her voice a bit more firm and loud this time... but he continued.  
The ranting and freaking out started to agitate her, especially because he wasn't listening to her. Twice, Moana tried to gather his attention and she failed both times -- she was almost tempted to leave a red hand print stain on his left cheek. Both of her hands pushed her hair back starting from her hairline, and by the time her hands ran along her neck she was tugging at her own hair. Instead of smacking him, her hands made better use. She grabbed his ear and yanked him down to her level.  
"Maui!" She yelled finally, and his rambling stopped. 

Meanwhile, Moana's expression looked calm but deadly with a dent creasing between her eyebrows, Maui looked shocked. He really hadn't heard her calling out to him, it was like he was under water and the deeper he went... the more muffled the other voices got. He stared at her for a few long moments, the heaving of this chest progressively steadied itself to a normal pace and he swallowed a lump in his throat. 

"If I let go of your ear, are you going to stay calm?" Moana asked. Maui nodded. So she let go, and his posture immediately straightened but his eyes never left her. Her eyes never left him either, and after a few minutes, she was certain enough to speak -- knowing he wouldn't burst into a fit like he had before.  
"You said days of voyage, right? The closest island is only another 2 days away... you will be fine without food." She chuckled. Maui rolled his eyes and used one large hand to pick her up by the head and place her behind him. 

"I don't have to eat or drink... not all the time anyway. But **you** do Moana!" He said.

"Okay, and I... a **mortal** , can go at least 2 or 3 days without drinking something. Easily 2 weeks without eating! I will be fine." Maui shook his head at her stubbornness. She could easily see the disappointment on his face and waved a hand at him with her eyes rolling mellowly. Not even in the slightest was she in the mood to argue with him, not right now. Her eyes fell on the cloudy sky above them, the lack of sun caused the air to seem more chilled than usual -- or more chilled than what she liked. 

"What if I fished?" Maui suggested. _Weren't we passed this?_ She thought.  
"With what?"  
"My fish hook, dummy." He snickered. Alright, point for Maui.  
"Okay well even if you caught anything, how're you going to cook it?" She recovered, folding her arms.  
"Eat it raw...?" He suggested, hesitantly. Moana's face scrunched in disgust, folding her lips. "You're such a girl." Maui derided. She didn't respond. 

If he were honest, Maui was glad that the discussion was over... despite him trying to feed her raw fish. He didn't want to argue or discuss... whatever you'd call it. The simple mentioning of her mortality was enough to inwardly piss him off, and get the need to back away from the subject. He sat down roughly at the front of the canoe, letting his feet dip into the water as they kept forward. "Break time is over, your turn." He told her, voice sounding more like a demand. When he turned to see if she was steering... she was. He didn't even have to tell her to do it, she was already on it. He smiled lightly, his dimples pressed into his cheeks gently and the creases around his eyes defined themselves slightly. That was one of the things he appreciated out of this mortal, she tried and never gave up -- and she was very determined. 

Hours went by... more than a couple. The whole day, to say the least. The sun had just gone to sleep as the moon awakened, the cloudy skies had stuck around for the whole day and finally, the rains that were promised had come. One drop, two drops... sprinkles, then a shower. The weather interfered with the steadiness of the waves, causing the voyagers to have to pay a little more attention to how they were standing or sitting. They switched positions throughout the day, right now Maui was steering. Moana was sitting criss-cross in front of the hatchet, keeping the fearful chicken some company. It seemed that the thunder that boomed in the sky and the lightning that flashed in the clouds didn't make the chicken's situation any better, Hei hei cornered himself in the hole away from Moana. She sighed and patted his head before closing the square door. 

She stayed bound to the floor, gripping onto a wooden piece next to her. Her body was slowly getting drenched by the raindrops, the mist from the splashing waves only sped up the process. This didn't scare her, she knew they would be okay.. it was just a storm. The thunder boomed again and this time she swore she could feel it's vibrations course along the wooden posts of the boat, Moana closed her eyes briefly while taking in a deep breath through her nose. There it was again, the vibrations... except this time there was no thunder? The thick eyebrows that rested on her forehead knitted together in confusion while her eyes opened, looking around. Maui didn't seem to be affected however, his eyes were focused on tying the rope while readjusting the sails. Maybe Moana **was** paranoid? She snickered at herself, c'mon Moana! You have been through much worse, this storm is noth-- _thump_. Her thoughts stopped right there, her chest tightened with anxiety and the feeling only spread through her limbs while she stood to her feet and balanced against the main post. 

Stronger vibrations ran along their boat again, and this time it gathered Maui's attention. He threw Moana her oar without warning and picked up his hook, walking over to stand by her side. When he threw the oar, she caught it with a little grunt after it had hit her chest abruptly. At least she wasn't going crazy, she was too young to become the Village's crazy lady already! 

"Maui..." She muttered to him, looking around at the foggy literary heavens that surrounded them. 

"When I say the code word... I need you to use your directional magic." Maui told her, his focus staying completely on the unknown ahead of them. His voice was filled with precaution and the way his hand tightened on and off around his hook supported the theory. There was something here, but: what?

"What's the code word?" She asked in a whisper, but he ignored her. Growling, she poked his back with the oar. "Maui?! What, Is, The wo--" Splash. A giant creature sprung from the depths of the ocean, flying hundreds of feet into the air. Both of their heads tilted up, watching the large creature dive over them and land with a large splash into the water.. what was that? It had flippers, it's tail was wide and whale-like while its head reminded you of an alligator.. except with several rows of razor sharp teeth. Coils poked from its spine and through the water's surface like it was a shark finning. And it was heading straight towards them. 

The thumping of Moana's heart slammed harshly against her chest, and it was the only sound Moana could hear. _Thump.. thump thump.. thump.. thump thump._ Though the Sea Monster was enough on their plate, Mother Nature decided to turn it up a notch. Cracks of the lightning bit at the air and the sounds of crashing clouds boomed louder in the sky while rains dragged down the black clouds. The boat began to roughly bobble back and forth, not only was this monster hungry for their vessel.. but so was the sea.  
"Any minute now, Maui!" She yelled, her eyes bulged from her head with fear swirling in them. Last time she didn't listen to him, she caused his hook to crack and he left. She was quickly reminded of how she felt, and the thought of him leaving her in a situation like this scared her greatly. 

The monster continued to swim their way and just as it was about to hit their boat, Maui spoke. "Bongos!" He yelled. She hadn't paid attention to the word he said and instead, took in the fact he spoke at all. She pulled the knotted rope and released the sail once more, powerful forces of wind pushing them forward. He jumped on the tip of the boat, which caused them to easily dodge the monster that swam their way. They were sailing full speed now, but Moana couldn't help and see that Maui's hook was glowing an electric blue -- preparing for a transformation to occur. 

"What are you doing?" She yelled over the whistling winds. 

"Just keep going, I'll catch up." He said. "You really didn't think big guy was gonna' leave us alone that easy, did you?" Maui grinned, yanking his arm down harshly. His body flashed, and then a great white shark had dived straight into the ocean from the canoe. His eyes fell on the open pair of jaws that almost consumed him but quickly swam upward to avoid that tragedy from happening. Maui swam forward... he couldn't resist himself -- and bit an end of the aquatic predators tail. It screeched in pain and anger, quickly yanking its tail from the shark's jaws. Just as he expected and wanted, the attention of the creature was fully on Maui now -- and now it was _Maui time_. He swam up to the thing as it swam to him, clenching his shark jaws together in determination. When he neared the predator enough, Maui flashed back into his human form and slashed at the flesh. The blue sea started to swirl with red as the monster's wound bled, it's body snapped around to look at him again. The mydriasis in its eyes was caused by the hunger and fury escalating within itself, and that was very clear to Maui.  
"You probably eat fish like me for breakfast, huh?" He muttered. As if the damned thing was replying, it barked another threatening sound and swam against the rough tides to get to Maui. 

The rough seas prevailed the gentle, large waves crashed into one another and built mountains. The boat split through waves, or rode them up and over roughly, Moana was drenched by now. Continuously spitting and blowing away the excess water that ran down her face and violently shoving her hair from covering her eyes. Her left eye squinted shut, which caused that part of her mouth to arch up as well. She turned around to look for Maui, any shark figure or large man... but there was nothing. Despair began to weave its way around her heart, her throat tightened and her lungs swelled. Then she saw two fish jump out of the water... first, it was the shark, and after it was a screeching unknown alien type. Looks like Maui was playing tag, and he wasn't 'it'. The mouth that belonged to the monster snapped sharply towards Maui again as they splashed back into the rough seas... her expression crumbled with dismay, panicking once their figures were covered by the angered ocean. She'd been mentally fighting with herself this entire time, and that made her decision. She gripped the rope and mocked Maui's previous actions, jumping on the boat's front. It flipped the completely opposite direction, tipping sideways. Her feet carried her to the upside of the boat and tugged the rope with both hands. Her chest puffed up and Moana leaned back, never ending her forceful grip until the boat was flat again. 

She was heading straight for the danger. 

Whitecaps were sprawled over the ocean, and the rocking back and forth started to agitate Moana more than it should have... she just wanted to get to Maui. The boat slid quickly across the water, wiping away salt water that begged to spill into her already irritated eyes. It wasn't hard to target where they were, seeing the coils of the monster poking from the sea. They were going nearly in circles, Maui must've been playing around -- taking the monster round and round! Dodging the damn thing in large stalks of coral or simply juking it out. 

The creature came to a sharp stop, its mouth hanging ajar while listening closely. No, it wasn't the crashing of the waves that it heard.. it was something else? The swishing of a paddle, the slamming of a board... its dark eyes looked around and finally they fell on the moving object. Moana's boat. That, was when its body had turned and sped for it, Maui noticed a few moments later when it had nearly reached the canoe.  
"Moana!" He yelled. Not intending for her to actually hear, but it was his way of panicking. 

Her eyes squinted and watched the coils smoothly come her way. She pulled the oar from the water and held it with two hands, what the hell was she supposed to do? Moana had her ways. She was expecting it to open its mouth and attempt to devour her boat, but that wasn't what happened. Instead, it leaped from the water once more.. and this was where everything began to feel like it was in slow motion. 

Her eyes got to take in the details of the being. The grayish color of its scales that turned a holographic green when the flashes of lightning hit against them, the small yet deadly size of its eyes that were so dark and predatory, scanning each of its jagged teeth with her eyes.. she was able to smell the rotten fish it had consumed days before; and caught a glimpse of the fish bones that flossed its teeth. It was at least the size of a whale shark, weighing no less than 35,000 pounds. It was lean muscle, the slickness of its tail -- along with how wide the end was-- was the only reason why it was so quick and swift in the water. The aquatic being was ancient, never seen before... there was no name to give it. 

The mouth opened wide, the taste buds on it's slimy and black tongue jumping excitedly to get a bite of this human. She had to think and act quickly before.. she became dinner. Her hands gripped tightly on the oar and before it could touch her, she shoved the tip of the paddle into its face. In all honesty, she meant to smack it away -- but instead, she shoved her oar into the eye socket. Moana's face crumbled slightly at the feeling of her paddle sinking into its head but soon grinned as it quickly retreated with a large and sharp cry.  
"Yep, I just did that!" She cheered to herself, pointing at the now slime and blood coated piece of wood. The large monster splashed into the water, the aftermath splashing over Moana. She groaned, twisting her head around to look in Maui's direction.. her hair smothered her face once more. "God dammit!" She hissed, tugging the black locks from her face again. When her eyesight was finally clear, they widened and she screamed. The monster snuck up on her and sprouted from the water again. Her body fell and she curled into a ball, then a wet slap was heard. Moana kept her arms on her head in a protecting manner while opening her eyes to see what had happened. 

Maui had leaped from the deep seas in time, slamming his fish body into the monster’s side -- tackling it before it could maul down any parts of Moana. Maui shifted his way around the creature’s body and bit it in multiple places, drawing blood and cries from it. The beast was already half blind now, a large flesh wound on its side, accompanied by dozens of bite marks littering its body. So it tried to escape and swam up to the surface in full speed, revealing itself out of the ocean again. Moana watched from the canoe while she hurried to her feet and picked up the wooden steering piece, preparing herself for the worse. 

The great white shark had leaped up right after it, Moana cut herself off in the middle of a scream to him when she saw his body flash into his human form again. Both arms grabbed his hook and swiveled it around his head with his arms before crashing down. Lightning struck behind them and a giant roar boomed in the air. The monster had been split in two, intestines fell into the ocean with waterfalls of blood seeping from the corpse, and eventually, it too had fallen into the sea. Its broad tail slammed flatly against the ocean and after it was a giant wave heading Moana’s way. 

When it caught up to her, her arms wrapped tightly around the main post and squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Flashbacks with Te Ka had taken over her mind, the wave was much like the one back then when Maui had protected them. And flying they went. 

A short while later the boat stopped fleeing, but the storm continued. It wasn’t as bad, considering there was no monster to be fought. Moana’s breathing was ragged, chest heaving quickly up and down, up and down as she let her hair hang in her face. She hesitantly opened her lids, the wood was now stained with blood and accessorized with chunks of flesh that somehow made their way to the canoe. Moana looked at the pole she was still holding onto and slowly pushed away from it to pull the sheets and continue through the storm. 

“Maui?!” She yelled off the back of the boat, eyes searching for anything desperately. The wave had pushed her quite a ways. _Fat ass lochness.._ She thought.  
Something slammed on the other end of the platform behind her, she turned around while gasping. It was him, exhausted and out of breath. He had blood everywhere, dropping to all fours while looking down at the wood. His masculine back flexed every time a deep breath was inhaled, and his, **too** soaked hair hung carelessly in his face. 

“Maui..” She breathed, rushing over before dropping to her knees. Her hands wiped away the blood that smothered his tan skin, worried that some of this might have actually belonged to him.  
“Are you hurt? Is any of this yours? Where’s the pain? I can--” His hand reached up to press over her rambling mouth, and then he leaned back to rest on his rear. He was smiling. 

“Curly, I’m fine,” Maui said, soft-spoken. She relaxed a little, her shoulders tension fading after his reassurance. His large hands wiped at the crimson that stuck to his face, using the salty water to assist in the job. “Are you okay?” He asked her after a few short moments, typing his hair up into a bun. It didn’t look as perky as usual, he was drenched -- and so was his beautiful mane. 

“Me? Y--Yeah! Yeah, I’m fine..” She stumbled over words. It was obvious that she was a bit shaken up, her hands shook nervously while opening the hatch to the chicken and somehow… it was still alive in perfect condition. Rolling her eyes, she slammed it shut-- resting back on one hand while the other pushed her hair back.  
“What was that thing?” She muttered to him. 

Maui glanced over at her and shrugged. “In all honesty, I don’t know what the hell that thing was.” He shook his head, his face was torn between shock and confusion. Never in his thousands of years had he seen such a thing. Yes, there were worse -- but not in the regular sea? There was only one explanation for this, but Maui needed more information to even **consider** the idea.. Especially as a valid one.  
“Storms’ almost over..” He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck. On the inside, yes, he was a bit mad at Moana for coming back. She almost died, again! If he hadn’t gotten there in time, that ‘thing’ would have surely swallowed her whole. The green acids that rested at the bottom of its stomach would have slowly cooked her from outside in-- dissolving every particle to her. Trust him when he says, _he knows._

“Yeah..” She sighed. 

Only two more days to go, what could **possibly** go wrong?


End file.
